Sanding apparatus for molding machines



Feb.. -9 1926.

C. L. NORTON SANDNG APPARATUS FOR MOLDING MACHINES Original Filed Dc. 14. 1922 MN Sw IP I l E Patented Feb. 9, 1926*.

TENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. NORTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SANDING APPARATUS FOR MOLDING MACHINES.

Original application led December 14, 1922, Serial No. 606,869.

October 13, 1924.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. NORTON,

a citizen of the United States of America,

and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sanding Apparatus for Molding Machines,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to machines for molding fictile material and relates more particularly to apparatus for coating the interior surface of the mold cavity preparatory to filling with a substance, for example dry sand, adapted to prevent the charge from adhering to the walls of the mold. While the improved apparatus is of general utility it is applicable with especial advantage to machines of that type wherein the mold charge is permitted to drop freely from a considerable height so as to enter the mold cavity at high velocity, and where manual coating or sanding` of the mold cavity is difficult, uncertain, and dangerous to the workman. Molding machines of the type just referred to are of especial importance in connection with the manufacture by mechanical means of refractory shapes from ground ganister or like substances, examples of such machines being disclosed in my prior Patents No. 1,332,677 dated March 2, 1920, N o. 1,426,761 dated August 22, 1922, and also in my copending application Serial No. 606,869 filed December 14, 1922, Vof which this application is a division.

In the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated and is shown by way of example as applied to a molding machine of the type disclosed in my aforesaid pending application. In the drawings- F ig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of the molding machine and charge delivery means showing the improved coating or sanding device in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, to larger scale, of the kimproved sanding device; and

Fig. 3 is a'fragmentary plan view illustrating the controlling means for the coating or sanding apparatus.

Referring to the drawings the molding machine with which the improved coating device is shown as associated, comprises ver-` tical supporting posts 1 connected by gir-ders Divided and this application filed Serial No. 743,192.

at 'their upper ends which support bearings for a shaft 3 to which the opposite halves 4 and 5 respectively cf a clam-shell type delivery hopper are hinged. The halves of the hopper are substantially alike and the hopper is preferably of tapering or inverted. wedge shape. A spring or springs 8 is suitably connected to the halves 4 and 5 of the hopper normally tending to swing the halves apart so as to dump the contents of the hopper.

Shafts 9 and 10 are journalled in suitable bearings at the upper ends of the posts 1, these shafts being parallel and at opposite sides of the hopper. Each half of the hopper is provided with an anti-friction roller 14 and these rollers engage cams 15 and 16 respectively mounted upon the shafts 9 and 10. The cams 15 and 16 are provided with concentric dwell portions, which normally engage the rollers 14 and hold the halves of the hopper in closed position, but the cams are also furnished with depressions which permit the rollers 14 to move outwardly at a certain point in the rotation of the shafts 9 and 10, thus permitting the charge, assisted by the springs 8, to open thev hopper and drop freely into the mold box which is positioned at a considerable distance below the hopper.

The mold box while being lilled is supported by an anvil plate 23 mounted upon I beams 21 or other suitable supporting means capable of withstanding the shock of the charge as it enters the mold box. Preferably the anvil 23 is provided with an adjustable stop or stops 24 for adjusting the position of the mold box when in filling position.

At opposite sides of the anvil, unloading tables 30 and 31 respectively, are arranged. Preferably these tables lie in a horizontal plane above that of the anvil and if desired a screen 300 may be interposed between the unloading tables and the anvil to prevent particles of the charge from spattering onto the unloading tables.

Parallel shafts 72 and 73 are disposed respectively between the unloading ltables and the supporting legs 1. These shafts are provided with segmental gears 7 5 which mesh with a reciprocating rack bar 7 6 actuated by a rod 7 7 which may receive its reciprocating 105 motion from any suitable source, not shown.

The shafts 72 and 7 Sare furnished respectively with mold supporting arms 79 and 80 which carry the mold boxes. The mold boxes comprise the molds proper indicated by the numerals 84 and the telescopic bottom members or -push plates 87, the boxes 84 being connected to the bottom members by pin and slot connections. The mold boxes are intended to have cover members or pallet plates 86 associated therewith during their movement from filling to unloading position and these pallet plates are held securely against the tops of the mold boxes by means of latches 97.

In the orderly operation of the machine one of the mold boxes rests upon the anvil 23 for lling while the other rests upon its corresponding unloading table.

Prior to delivering the charge from the hopper into the mold box resting upon the anvil 23 it is desirable to coat the interior surface of the latter with sand or some other suitable material 'in order to prevent the charge from sticking to the inner surfaces of the mold box. The mechanism herein provided for coating the interior surface of the mold box with sand comprises one or more brackets 101 secured to the posts 1 and having portions 101L adapted partially to enibrace a receptacle 102 in which sand S or other suitable material may be placed. rlhe receptacle 102 may be secured to the brackets 101 in any suitable manner and is provided with a downwardly inclined portion or neck 103 providing a chamber 104C of restricted capacity which terminates in a series of diverging delivery spouts 105. A blast nozzle 106 projects into the chamber 104: and is connected by a pipe 10Gn to any suitable source of air or steam under pressure. An inclined deflector plate 107 is secured by means of a bracket 108 to the posts 1 and is so positioned that sand discharged through the spouts 105 by the action of the jet of compressed air is dispersed and directed downwardly toward the mold box resting uopn the anvil 23.

Preferably the sand employed is finely ground quartz or material of similar characteristics and when blown outwardly by a puff of air from the nozzle 106 forms a cloud which coats the entire inner surface of the mold box with a thin film which prevents the mold charge from sticking thereto.

The lower part of the receptacle 102 is preferably restricted in area as indicated at 113 to prevent the sand from packing too closely in the chamber 1041, although at each discharge of air from the nozzle the vibration set up causes Va supply of sand to descend into the receptacle 104 ready to be delivered from the spouts 105 by the next puff of air from the nozzle.

The delivery of air from the nozzle is preferably controlled by a valve 110 having an actuating lever 111 connected by a link 112 to a crank 114 conveniently mounted at one end of the shaft 72 so that the opening of the valve operates in timed relation to the rotation of the shaft 72. The crank 114 is so positioned that the valve 110 is opened substantially at the end of each oscillation of the shaft 72. This results in causing a cloud of sand to descend in proper time to coat the interior of the mold box resting upon the anvil.

lhile the sanding device is herein illustrated as located just below the delivery hopper it may, if desired be placed at relatively different height, and under some circumstances the deflector plate may be' dispensed with. Furthermore it is contemplated that more than one of the sanding devices may be employed, for example one at either side of the supporting structure, if it be found that the sand supplied by one device does not adequately coat thel entire surface of the mold.

Furthermore while herein shown as applied to a machine of that type in which the charge is automatically delivered from a height and drops freely into the mold it is contemplated that a similar sanding device may be found of utility in connection with molding machines of other types and wherever it is desirable to coat the interior surface of a mold with sand.

I claim:

,1. A machine of the type having means for freely dropping a charge of material from a height into a mold box to fill the latter comprising means for supporting the mold box below the charge-dropping means, and means for delivering material into the empty mold box for coating the interior of the latter while so supported.

2. A machine of the class described comprising a mold box movable from charge-receiving to charge-delivering position, means for coating the interior of the empty box with sand when in the first position, and means for moving the mold box and for actuating the coating vmeans in timed relation.

3. A machine of the class described comprising an oscillating shaft, an' arm fixed thereto, a mold box supported by the arm, means for supplying sand for coating the interior of the mold box, a valve controlling the latter means, and connections between the shaft and valve for operating the latter in time with the movement of the mold box.

4. A machine of the class described comprising a mold box, means for moving it to and from filling position, said means comprising a shaft, means for delivering coating material to the interior of the mold box while in filling position, and means, including a crank on the shaft for controlling the operation of the coating means.

5. In a machine of the class described,

means for supporting a mold to be lilled, an elevated receptacle for sand, means for causing a puff of air to enter said receptacle whereby to carry sand therefrom toward the mold, and means interposed in the path of such sand for spreading it and directing it into the mold.

6. In a machine of the class described, stationary means for supporting a mold boX, an elevated sand receptacle having a downwardly inclined portion, an air delivery nozzle projecting into said downwardly inclined portion for blowing sand therefrom, and an inclined deflector plate arranged in l5 the path of movement of sand blown from the receptacle for directing such sand into a mold box resting upon the support.

7. In a machine of the class described, a support for a mold box, an elevated receptacle for sand, said receptacle having a plurality of horizontally diverging delivery spouts, means for blowing blasts of air min gled with sand from said spouts, and a delector plate interposed in the path of the particles of sand delivered from said spouts for directing such sand to the interior of the mold box.

Signed by me at Cambridge, Massachusetts, this 7th day of October, 1924.

CHARLES L. NORTON. 

